2014 interior design trends

Sonos’ new London store has tiny houses and a bit of Memphis

More than a year after Sonos unveiled its first brick-and-mortar store in New York, the wireless speaker company is opening its first European store in London’s 6 Dials neighborhood. The store was “designed to replicate the home environment”—because, you know, whose house doesn’t contain tiny dwellings featuring eye-popping wall coverings from trendy creatives like the Memphis-obsessed artist Camille Walala and Bob-Ross-inspired painter Neil Raitt?

In addition to their striking visual designs, the store’s 2 artist-decorated Listening Rooms were acoustically tuned “to emulate a real multi-room home listening space.” Visitors to the store will be able to chill within these mini ar2rks and stream their own music over the speakers.

The rest of the store is outfitted in polished concrete floors, simple wooden display tables, and exposed metal pipes and ventilation tubes that lend an industrial vibe. Of course, it’s all been considered from the auditory side as well, from the acoustics-enhancing textures of custom-bevelled glass walls (to reduce sound bounce) to the hand-woven rugs and bespoke bookshelves.

The store, opening November 16, also has a gallery space currently dedicated to London images of the late, great David Bowie.